From Newborn to New Home: Leo's Happy Tail

This June, it’s raining cats and kittens at the ASPCA. That’s right—it’s the height of kitten season and it’s also “Adopt a Shelter Cat” month, so we’ve got nothing but meows on our mind. Though we’re working double-time to find a home for every cat, sometimes we get lucky and fate does the job for us. That’s what happened when Sabrina C. met Leo, a newborn kitty who was adopted just hours after becoming available. Here is their Happy Tail.

Leo first came to the ASPCA at just nine days old. He, his six siblings, and their mother were found living in the home of a hoarder, and they were brought to our Animal Hospital for immediate medical attention. Because of their age, the newborns were placed under intensive neonatal care, which includes round-the-clock monitoring of health, temperature, weight, and food. Their mama was close by to tend to her babies, as well.

While all of this was happening, Sabrina C. was across town with her fiancé considering cat adoption. She had lost her older cat, Jack, to stomach cancer in early 2013, and finally felt ready to open her home to a kitten again. “When I finally decided it was time, I knew I wanted to adopt and not shop,” she says. So they headed to the ASPCA.

Had Sabrina visited our Adoption Center on any other day—or even any other hour—she might have left empty handed. But as luck would have it, Leo completed his neonatal care and was transferred to adoptions just two hours before she arrived. “When I first looked into his little kennel, he was laying there almost not wanting to be bothered. I loved that kind of ‘too good for this’ personality!” Sabrina laughs. “We picked him up and immediately knew he was ours.” As if to further cement the deal, Sabrina noticed that Leo’s birth date fell on her anniversary. “It felt it was a sign!” she says. After less than three hours in our Adoption Center, Leo had found his forever home.

Back at the apartment, the teeny kitty adjusted right away. “He is so energetic and silly,” says Sabrina. “He is very playful and loves to do weird things that just make you laugh.” They settled into their new life easily, and Leo’s early days in the home of a hoarder are nothing but a distant memory. “He’s like no pet I’ve ever had before,” says Sabrina. “He was the cat we were waiting for.”

June is “Adopt a Shelter Cat” Month, and there are tons cats and kittens waiting to meet their matches in shelters across the country! Visit the ASPCA Adoption Center—or any local shelter—to meet homeless animals in need of loving families.